The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced Thursday that Columbia University is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The investigation concluded that the university acted with “deliberate indifference” to a hostile environment faced by its Jewish students, particularly from October 7, 2023, to the present.
Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, which includes discrimination against individuals based on their actual or perceived Israeli or Jewish identity or ancestry, in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
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The OCR’s Notice of Violation details factual findings spanning over 19 months, indicating a persistent failure by Columbia University to protect its Jewish students. The investigation drew upon various sources, including witness interviews, university policies and procedures, media reports of antisemitic incidents, and findings from Columbia University’s own Task Force on Antisemitism.
“The findings carefully document the hostile environment Jewish students at Columbia University have had to endure for over 19 months, disrupting their education, safety, and well-being,” stated Anthony Archeval, Acting Director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “We encourage Columbia University to work with us to come to an agreement that reflects meaningful changes that will truly protect Jewish students.”
According to the Notice of Violation, Columbia University failed in several key areas, demonstrating deliberate indifference:
- Lack of Effective Reporting and Remediation: The university did not establish effective mechanisms for reporting and addressing antisemitism until the summer of 2024.
- Non-Adherence to Own Policies: Columbia failed to properly follow its own policies and procedures when responding to Jewish students’ complaints and in addressing student misconduct targeting Jewish students.
- Failure to Address Vandalism: The university did not adequately investigate or punish instances of vandalism in its classrooms, including the repeated drawing of swastikas and other recognized hate symbols.
- Inconsistent Enforcement of Protest Restrictions: Since October 7, 2023, Columbia University failed to consistently enforce its time, place, and manner restrictions for protests held on campus, including those inside and around academic buildings, residence halls, and libraries.
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The Notice of Violation was issued and signed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
Columbia University now faces the imperative to work with OCR to implement corrective actions and ensure a safe and non-discriminatory environment for all its students. Failure to do so could potentially jeopardize federal funding.
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